Prompt Cast
The Difficulty of Navigating the Open Ocean and the Development of the Global Positioning System
TLDR This episode explores the challenges of navigating the open ocean, particularly determining longitude, and how accurate mapping and timekeeping were crucial for sailors. John Harrison's development of an accurate clock revolutionized navigation, leading to improved safety and the eventual creation of the global positioning system.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The difficulty of navigation on the open ocean, particularly determining longitude, is explored in this episode.
01:32
The difficulty of navigating the open ocean and the importance of accurate mapping for sailors is discussed.
02:42
The difficulty of determining longitude and the importance of time in solving this problem is discussed.
03:58
Astronomical techniques for determining longitude were not effective on a ship at sea, but could work on land with good tables and measurements.
05:08
John Harrison spent 40 years developing an accurate clock, called H5, which was able to determine longitude at sea with great accuracy.
06:28
The clocks developed by John Harrison proved their worth in navigation, leading to improved safety and a decrease in ship disasters.
07:36
The pursuit of longitudinal measurement led to the development of the global positioning system, which allows for pinpoint measurement anywhere on Earth.
